Fast and Easy Windows Setup & Configuration with WinGet and Desired State Configuration
Presented by Demitrius Nelon at Microsoft Ignite 2025, this session dives into WinGet's new capabilities for fast Windows setup and configuration using Desired State Configuration, with code-centric demos for IT professionals and developers.
Windows setup & configuration made fast & easy with WinGet
Speaker: Demitrius Nelon (Microsoft Product Manager)
Session Highlights
Introduction & Context
- Opening remarks on streamlining Windows setup for developers and IT professionals.
Latest Release Updates
- Font management improvements
- UI modernization for the WinGet experience
Configuration as Code Deep Dive
- Microsoft Desired State Configuration (DSC) integration with WinGet
- Exporting and generating configuration files for repeatable setups
- Operations explained: Get, Set, Test with schema walkthroughs
AI Readiness & CLI Integration
- Discusses AI readiness through command-line interface enhancements
- Highlights automation potentials for scalable configuration
PowerShell Gallery & Visual Studio Code
- Using PowerShell and VS Code for managing and writing configuration scripts
- Class-based PowerShell resources; understanding schema details for robust configuration
Demo: Installing Terminal Tools
- Live walkthrough installing and configuring terminal tools via PowerShell and WinGet
Open Source Announcement
- Introduction of WinGet Studio as an open-source project
- Encourages community contributions and showcases collaborative development
Key Takeaways
- WinGet supports automated Windows environment setup through configuration as code, minimizing manual effort for developers and IT professionals.
- Integration with Desired State Configuration allows exporting and customizing environment states, ideal for repeatable team setups and enterprise deployments.
- Features modernized UI and command-line tools, enabling advanced automation.
- Community is encouraged to contribute to WinGet Studio, expanding open-source collaboration on tooling.
Resources
For IT professionals and developers aiming to standardize and automate Windows setup, this breakout session covers practical steps, demos, and strategies with WinGet and DSC, supporting modern DevOps and coding practices.